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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22937485">Love &amp; Gatorade</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock'>NamelesslyNightlock</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Going Down Swinging [47]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Banter, Bickering, Boys In Love, Breakfast in Bed, Coffee Addict Tony Stark, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, Feelings Realization, Flirting, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Getting Together, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki (Marvel) Has A Heart, M/M, Morning After, Non-Graphic Smut, Romantic Fluff, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Is Not Helping, Tony Stark Needs Sleep, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:27:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22937485</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When confronting a villain, one does not generally expect to get a bottle of Gatorade thrown at their head.<br/><br/>...or, five times Loki makes sure Tony eats, and one time Tony returns the favour.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Going Down Swinging [47]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1330490</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1017</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>RarePairs_1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love &amp; Gatorade</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ehtar/gifts">Ehtar</a>.</li>

        <li>
          Translation into 中文-普通话 國語 available: 
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25588072">爱情与佳得乐</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/kummerspeck/pseuds/kummerspeck">kummerspeck</a>
        </li>


    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ehtar had an amazing idea, and I had to write it. I hope you all enjoy it!<br/><br/><b>Prompt</b>— <i>“I can take care of myself just fine.”</i></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em><span class="big">one</span></em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Tony knew it was a bad idea, somewhere in the back of his overly tired mind. But it didn’t matter whether it was a bad idea or not, because Loki was running rampant down on Broadway, there were people who needed saving, and the rest of the Avengers were busy at SHIELD HQ in DC.</p><p>It didn’t matter that Tony hadn’t slept in 43 hours, hadn’t eaten in 26, and hadn’t drunk a thing since his last coffee– <em>oh</em>, about three hours earlier. It didn’t matter, because he was an Avenger, and when people needed help it was his responsibility to go and goddamn <em>help</em> them, whether he was in a fit state to do so or not.</p><p>JARVIS tried to talk him out of it, tried to say that Loki wasn’t actually hurting anyone and that the matter could wait until the Avengers made the hour and a half flight – well, 45 minutes if they pushed the quinjet hard enough – and he even tried to make the point that Tony shouldn’t even be driving in that state, let alone flying Iron Man.</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous JARVIS,” Tony said. “Iron Man is much safer than driving. If I fall asleep, you can just take over, okay? I trust your skills.”</p><p>“Sir!”</p><p>“Come on, J, we’ve got things to do.”</p><p>Tony could still <em>feel</em> JARVIS’ disapproval as he threw himself from the top of the tower, but there wasn’t really anything the AI could do about it.</p><p>The cold metal of the suit against his skin helped to wake him up a bit, as did the usual exhilaration of the freefall before he fired up the repulsors to catch himself just before he hit the street. He was hurtling down Broadway in moments, and it didn’t take long at all to find the source of all the problems.</p><p>Loki looked up when Tony approached with the kind of smirk that let Tony know he had been expected– <em>anticipated</em>, even, as if Loki had been bored and was causing mayhem purely to catch the attention of someone more interesting than the people streaming out of the theatres with harsh yells.</p><p>At first glance, Tony couldn’t actually see anything wrong– but then JARVIS told him about the reports of special effects looking a little too real, ghosts and mist and mystical creatures and real, burning <em>fire </em>appearing not only on stage but amongst the seats as well, causing audience and actors alike to run out screaming. JARVIS even pulled up some of the videos that were being posted to social media, and, well. If Tony hadn’t been so fucking exhausted, he probably would have given Loki some credit for his sense of dramatics.</p><p>But Loki was standing in the middle of the street still wearing that shit eating grin, and Tony slammed down onto the tarmac beside him with an irritated growl.</p><p>“Really, Loki?” he asked. “You realise that the whole draw of the Lion King is the amazing puppetry, right? You didn’t need to go and add real fucking lions—”</p><p>“They aren’t real lions,” Loki said haughtily. “It’s hardly my fault that you mortals can’t tell what is real and what is not—”</p><p>“They roar and they have claws, that’s real enough for most people,” Tony muttered. Loki didn’t quite look totally in focus anymore, and Tony squinted, wondering if he too was an illusion.</p><p>“Thank you,” Loki said– and Tony frowned.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Well, for the compliment to my illusions,” Loki said. “I have always been rather skilled in that area, and it is <em>always</em> gratifying to hear… praise– Stark, are you quite all right?”</p><p>Tony shook his head, trying to clear it. “I’m <em>fine</em>,” he muttered, and in his confused state he didn’t even stop to wonder why Loki would even care. “You need to stop it. Put them back.”</p><p>“Put what back?” Loki asked, frowning.</p><p>“The lions,” Tony said firmly. “You need to put them back.” He raised his gauntlet, and prepared to fire. After all, this was <em>Loki</em>. He needed to be ready for a fight. But Loki wasn’t looking like he was getting ready to fight back. He was frowning.</p><p>“Stark,” Loki said, speaking slowly. “They aren’t real lions. I said that– and I know that you are actually fairly clever under all that metal. Are you drunk?”</p><p>“Of course I’m not drunk,” Tony snapped. “I’ll prove to you I’m not drunk, for fuck’s sake.” He aimed his blast carefully, but Loki <em>must</em> have dodged because it went pretty wide. Loki finally came forward then, holding both hands out in front of him – probably planning on doing magic or, something, Tony couldn’t really see, there must have been something wrong with his HUD—</p><p>Tony almost tripped over something as he stepped forward, and the whole world swayed dangerously.</p><p>“Stark,” Loki said, his voice sounding strange, like he was speaking underwater.</p><p>Tony’s mind was fuzzy, and he just felt so very tired. It was quite comfortable, actually, in the suit. He could close his eyes and just <em>lean—</em></p><p>“Stark!”</p><p>Tony’s eyes snapped open, and he frowned as he took in the scene before him. Loki’s face was hovering over his, which didn’t make sense for starters because he’d been standing up, hadn’t he? But now it seemed like he was lying on the ground, the concrete of the sidewalk hard and uncomfortable against his back.</p><p>Wait a minute—</p><p>“Where’s my suit?” Tony asked, struggling to sit up—</p><p>“Stay there for a moment longer,” Loki said, one hand pressing into Tony’s shoulder– but it wasn’t forceful, like he was trying to hold him down. His touch was almost… gentle. “If you sit up too fast,” Loki told him, “You will feel dizzy.”</p><p>Tony stared for a moment. Had he been transported to some kind of weird parallel universe? Was that the reason why it felt like the world was turning a little bit too fast?</p><p>“JARVIS?” Tony asked.</p><p>“Yes, Sir?” JARVIS’ voice, thankfully, led Tony’s gaze to the red and gold armour, standing just behind Loki.</p><p>“JARVIS, you opened my suit,” Tony complained, letting his head fall back against the sidewalk. He really didn’t have the energy to fight Loki barehanded.</p><p>“I was worried,” JARVIS replied. “You fell asleep, and you would not wake.”</p><p>“You weren’t just sleeping,” Loki correct. “Stark, you passed out. When was the last time you slept?”</p><p>Tony glanced away, not wanting to tell <em>Loki</em> of all people– but then JARVIS gave the tally, <em>and</em> he told Loki how long it had been since the last time Tony ate.</p><p>“What the hell, JARVIS,” Tony said. “Come on. This is <em>Loki</em>, you can’t just open my suit and then give out my personal information. He’s the enemy!”</p><p>“Sir, I am afraid that I find it difficult to classify him as such when he is more willing to take care of you than you are.”</p><p>“You are such a traitor,” Tony groaned again, glancing around to see that the pair of them had somehow managed to amass quite a crowd. There were even a few police cruisers scattered about, and officers who were trying to keep the people back and yet were clearly unsure as to whether they were supposed to be doing something about Loki or not.</p><p>Whatever.</p><p>“Well, you seem to be alive,” Loki said. “In which case, I think it is time that I take my leave.”</p><p>“Yes, good,” Tony said, trying to sit up again. This time, Loki let him– and Tony was <em>not</em> going to think about the fact that Loki slipped one hand around to his back to help steady him. “Hey. Shoo.”</p><p>“Take this, first,” Loki said, shoving something into Tony’s hands. “And this, too.”</p><p>Tony stared. Loki had given him a bottle of Gatorade and a protein bar.</p><p>“Go on,” Loki said. “Eat. Drink. Now.”</p><p>“I thought you were leaving—”</p><p>“Not until I know you’re not about to pass out again. I’ll keep you here for the rest of the night if I have to.” He paused, glancing at something over Tony’s shoulder. “I’m sure those reporters who are starting to show up will really enjoy debating why we spent such a long time sitting here, in the middle of the path, having a lovely conversation—”</p><p>“You’re an asshole,” Tony snapped. “You can’t make me stay here—”</p><p>“I am the enemy, remember?” Loki said, arching a brow. “I’ll do what I like. Now, if you want me to stop those lions and witches from terrorising these poor mortals—”</p><p>“You haven’t stopped that yet?”</p><p>“Why would I?”</p><p>Tony spluttered, and Loki nudged at the hand holding the bottle of bright green liquid.</p><p>“Go on. <em>Drink</em>.”</p><p>Tony didn’t do it because Loki told him to. Nor did he do it because Loki had issued <em>threats</em>. He drank the fucking Gatorade because he was <em>thirsty</em>, not for any other reason. And the protein bar was just. Well, he was hungry too. It wasn’t like he was letting Loki feed him, or whatever. He even went through with it with a spiteful expression, pinning Loki with a glare so dire that it should have been enough to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.</p><p>The moment the protein bar was gone and the Gatorade bottle was empty, Loki disappeared in a shimmer of green that seemed far more smug than any show of magic had any right to be, leaving Tony to pull himself to his feet and fall back into his suit, hoping to finally get some fucking sleep.</p><p>As he did so, he saw that Loki hadn’t been lying about the reporters at all.</p><p>Goddamn it.</p><p>Ah, well. At least it was all over, right? He’d set Pepper on the journalists, and he’d never have to think about the incident again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em><span class="big">two</span></em>
  </strong>
</p><p>When JARVIS announced out of nowhere that he had IDed Loki in a photo that had gone viral in minutes, Tony grit his teeth in annoyance. He was <em>still</em> dealing with the fallout of what had happened that day on Broadway, still trying to convince SHIELD that no, his suit wasn’t vulnerable to Loki’s magic, no, he wasn’t suffering any medical condition that would cause him to pass out mid fight, and <em>no</em> he most definitely was <em>not</em> friends with Asgard’s most wanted.</p><p>But, once again, it wasn’t like he had a choice. Loki <em>was</em> a wanted villain, after all– but at least this time he wasn’t alone, <em>and</em> he wasn’t tired. He’d only woken up five hours ago and he’d had four coffees since then, so he was <em>ready to go</em>. Loki wasn’t going to know what had had hit him.</p><p>Steve suggested that the pair of them split up the moment they entered the Met, since the place was big and they didn’t want to cause any panic quite yet, not when most of the people in there weren’t yet aware of who they were sharing the museum with. As he searched, Tony was hoping that maybe Loki had already left, that he had worked out he had been noticed and had just gone back to whatever hole he had crawled out of—</p><p>But then he turned a corner and spotted an entirely too familiar figure perched on a seat and staring at a piece of art on the wall, and he let out a heavy sigh.</p><p>Muttering under his breath about Steve’s bloody plan, Tony stepped past a couple of bold teenagers who were trying to ask him for an autograph and then took a seat next to Loki on the bench.</p><p>“Stark,” Loki said, actually having the gall to sound surprised.</p><p>“What are you up to?” Tony asked, narrowing his eyes. “Whatever your plan is, it’s not going to work.”</p><p>“Did you not even consider that I might just be trying to appreciate the efforts of your Midgardian artists?” Loki asked.</p><p>“Appreciate?” Tony asked. “Please. Even if you’re not here for some plot, I’d bet my fortune that you’ve been criticising it.”</p><p>“Not at all,” Loki said. He turned to the painting he had been staring at to pin Tony with another one of those fucking smirks. “Quite the contrary, in fact. I find myself in awe.”</p><p>“Oh, please—”</p><p>“This artist has managed to paint his entire canvas in a single shade of brown, and has managed to convince the world that it is worth displaying in one of the most prestigious galleries on your planet. Honestly, Stark, it is truly impressive.”</p><p>Despite everything, Tony found himself laughing at that. “You really are something else, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Something else in relation to what, exactly?” Loki asked, arching his brow. Tony felt his cheeks warm for a moment, but before he could pinpoint exactly what it was that he was feeling, Loki was talking again. “I was actually just about to leave when you turned up. I do have other things to attend to.”</p><p>“Oh,” Tony said. “Right. Well, you haven’t caused any problems here so I guess I can just let you go. But just this once.”</p><p>Loki rolled his eyes – which, okay, so Tony might not have had his suit but Loki didn’t have to be so condescending about it – and then moved as if to leave. But, before he stood, he paused as if he had just remembered something important.</p><p>“Oh, before I go,” Loki said. He reached into the pocket of his suit-jacket, and pulled out a bottle of bright green Gatorade and a protein bar. “You should probably take these. You look a little pale.”</p><p>“Pale?” Tony asked. “<em>Pale?</em> Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I’m sitting in an art gallery with a guy who tried to throw me out of a window once—”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t think that my presence makes you go pale, Stark,” Loki said, his smirk turning absolutely wicked as he leaned a little closer. Tony couldn’t help but flick his gaze down to that smirk, before glancing back up to Loki’s eyes. “No,” Loki breathed, his voice low. “I think it’s quite the opposite.”</p><p>Then, with nothing more than his usual shimmer of green, Loki was gone.</p><p>“Fucker,” Tony muttered, his fingers tightening on the stuff he held in his hands. He might have worried that they would turn him into a canary or something, except that the first lot hadn’t– and that none of it made any sense. After all, if Loki was doing this to hurt him, then he could have just done whatever he wanted while Tony was passed out in the middle of the street. But then, maybe he knew that JARVIS would have tried to stop him—</p><p>Oh, of course. Loki remembered that JARVIS had been dangerously tolerant of him so long as he was pretending to pander to Tony’s health. Loki must believe that he could twist that to his advantage, probably thinking that he could use it to break into Avengers Tower later.</p><p>Yeah, well, joke was on him.</p><p>Feeling a little steadier now that he had a solid plan in mind, Tony got to his feet and turned back down the hall to go in search of Steve.</p><p>And yes, okay, so maybe he took the Gatorade and the protein bar with him. It would be a waste of food otherwise, and… well, you know, it was for just in case he got peckish later on.</p><p>That was all.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em><span class="big">three</span></em>
  </strong>
</p><p>When the news came that Loki was fighting Doctor Strange down in Greenwich Village, Tony actually felt a spark of worry arc through his chest. He frowned when he realised that he <em>was</em> actually <em>worried</em>, because he knew that Doctor Strange was (supposedly, anyway) the strongest sorcerer on the planet, and Tony didn’t want Loki to get hurt– or worse, <em>caught</em>.</p><p>He wasn’t entirely sure <em>when</em> it had happened. Tony had run into Loki a few more times out and about – and he was <em>sure</em> Loki was doing it on purpose – and every single time, Loki would shove a bottle of Gatorade and a protein bar into his hands.</p><p>Honestly, it was getting ridiculous. It didn’t even matter what they were doing– sometimes they would fight, sometimes they would only talk. Sometimes they’d argue or sometimes Loki would only wave and then vanish. But, without fail, Tony would always end the encounter holding a bottle of Gatorade and a protein bar, no matter how much he tried to tell Loki he didn’t need them. Tony was still pretty sure Loki was doing it for some manipulative reason, but he hadn’t quite worked out <em>what</em> just yet.</p><p>But, still.</p><p>As the Avengers charged in on the scene, the others were all strategizing and complaining about magicians tearing up a perfectly good street, but all Tony felt was <em>relief</em>.</p><p>Because looking at the fight, at the way that trees had been ripped from their roots, that lampposts were twisted and signs were torn and windows smashed– Tony knew that Loki was only <em>playing</em>.</p><p>Tony had fought against Loki so many times that he <em>knew</em> Loki didn’t move this way when he was actually trying to win. Loki’s real strategy was always all about shadows and illusions, maybe using bright colours and pretty flashes as a distraction while he focused on the task at hand or crept up from behind, but this? This absolute destruction, ripping chunks of concrete from the path and telekinetically flinging them in Strange’s direction?</p><p>This was just Loki having fun.</p><p>In the back of his mind, Tony wondered what Strange had done to piss Loki off, but he decided that it didn’t matter. The fight was well in progress, and the Avengers were moving to get involved. Steve was already shouting something at Strange, trying to get him to agree to try and calm the fight down a bit, but it seemed like Strange was well past listening.</p><p>Tony huffed, and decided to fly over to help– Natasha and Thor were already headed in Loki’s direction, and Tony was kind of hoping to avoid a confrontation because he knew that given the slightest chance, Loki would only—</p><p>“Stark!” Loki yelled, and when Tony glanced over, Loki’s grin widened. “Catch!”</p><p>“Oh don’t you even—” Tony’s threat cut off into a yelp as a bottle of green Gatorade smacked against his helmet, followed quickly after by a protein bar.</p><p>“Make sure he eats it, JARVIS!” Loki ordered, even as he ducked under one of Strange’s sparking orange whips. “Wouldn’t want him withering away.”</p><p>“That’s… different,” Clint said. Tony ignored him.</p><p>“I’m not about to wither away,” he snapped, leaving the Gatorade on the ground as he wheeled around toward Loki. “Will you stop trying to feed me—”</p><p>“Get out of the way, Stark,” Strange interrupted. “I’m in the middle of something here, and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”</p><p>“Oh, shut up, Strange,” Tony said, not even looking as he fired a repulsor in the sorcerer’s direction. “Look,” he snapped at Loki. “I don’t need you to keep me hydrated, okay? I can take care of myself just fine—”</p><p>“It didn’t seem like it when you fainted in my arms,” Loki teased– and he was <em>teasing</em>, his expression dancing with glee.</p><p>“Why are you even doing this?” Tony asked. “What are you getting out of it?”</p><p>Loki’s eyes gleamed and his smirk widened, but then– he paused, as if he had changed his mind last minute about what he was going to say. Tony waited for a moment, but when nothing seemed forthcoming, he crossed his arms over his chest.</p><p>“What?” Tony asked. “No witty reply?”</p><p>Loki stared for just a moment longer, and then he was gone, and Tony was left gaping at nothing. It was odd behaviour for Loki– not the disappearing act, that was commonplace, but the sudden loss of words as if had been struck speechless. Though, by <em>what</em> exactly, Tony couldn’t say.</p><p>It didn’t make any sense.</p><p>And even as the others congratulated each other on a mission well-done before turning to annoyance about the damage and the fact that Loki had managed to get away <em>again</em>, it was all Tony could do to head back to where he had left Loki’s gifts on the ground and scoop them up, because…</p><p>He was starting to suspect that maybe it wasn’t just a manipulation. Maybe, if he was lucky, it might just be something else. Something <em>more</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em><span class="big">four</span></em>
  </strong>
</p><p>The next time Tony saw Loki, he ran into him on the street. As with many of their other meetings, Tony was <em>sure</em> it couldn’t just have been a coincidence– especially since it was JARVIS who had convinced him to go for a walk that afternoon, and for some unfathomable reason JARVIS had decided that Loki’s mission to keep Tony fed was a worthwhile cause to support.</p><p>He wasn’t really looking where he was going and almost walked straight into Loki, and the other man put his hands on Tony’s arms to keep him steady. Tony looked up and met Loki’s gaze. Neither of them moved away, and Loki didn’t look like he was about to say anything– he just stared, his eyes darting over Tony’s face as if he were drinking him in.</p><p>“Hi,” Tony said, wanting to break the silence.</p><p>Loki smiled at that, smoothing his hands down Tony’s arms before they fell to his sides as he took a step backward. The smile wasn’t his usual smirk– it was softer, more vulnerable, and made Tony’s breath hitch. But Loki didn’t quite seem like himself, and Tony had to stop himself from moving forward into Loki’s space again.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Tony asked.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Loki said. “I just… I wanted to ask you something.”</p><p>“…what is it?”</p><p>“Well…” Loki quirked a smile, though he sounded almost <em>nervous</em>. “Have you eaten yet today?”</p><p>Tony narrowed his eyes. “Are you going to try and force me to eat a protein bar if I say no?”</p><p>“No,” Loki replied, shaking his head with a soft laugh. “But I was wondering… whether you wanted to go out for lunch?”</p><p>“Lunch?” Tony said, confused– but then his eyes widened as he realised, and he let out a breathy– <em>“Oh.”</em></p><p>“Yes,” Loki said. “There is a restaurant not far from here that I have grown to like, or… we could do something else, if you would prefer?”</p><p>Loki’s green eyes were wide and hopeful, his smile still that tentative, vulnerable thing that Tony had never seen before. Well, except, maybe, in that moment during the fight with Strange, when Tony had asked Loki why he kept trying to drown him in Gatorade– and suddenly, everything made sense.</p><p>Tony had barely dared to <em>hope</em> that Loki might be starting to feel the same way he was, and to have this chance… well, he’d be an idiot if threw it away.</p><p>So, with a soft smile of his own playing at the edges of his lips, Tony took that step forward and reached out to take Loki’s hand in his own.</p><p>“Lunch sounds good,” he said. “Although– only if you promise it’s going to be actual food. And maybe some wine? I am <em>not</em> drinking Gatorade on a date.”</p><p>Loki’s laugh was light, and it lit up his whole expression. “Don’t worry,” Loki said. “I have something a little nicer than that planned.”</p><p>Tony’s smile widened, Loki’s words warming him all the way through. Because this hadn’t just been a spur of the moment thing, this wasn’t just a whim. Loki had actually planned this– hell, Tony had used the word <em>date</em> himself. He and Loki were going to go out for an actual meal and they were dating and—</p><p>Tony couldn’t have wiped the grin of his face if he’d tried.</p><p>And as they walked hand in hand down the street, chatting just as easily as they had always managed right from the start with their heads tilted together and their smiles so very bright, Tony thought he actually wouldn’t have minded if all they ate was protein bars and Gatorade. Because regardless of what they did he was going on a date with <em>Loki</em>, and absolutely nothing could have brought him down from pure happiness coursing through him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em><span class="big">five</span></em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Being with Loki was the easiest and the most exciting thing in the world. At first, it was almost as if nothing had really changed– save the fact that their conversations were littered with lingering touches, and in between the heated debates there would be heated kisses. They didn’t bother trying to keep it a secret, knowing that neither of them would be able to hide the way they felt even if they had wanted to.</p><p>Loki made Tony feel alive in a way that he hadn’t in so very long, and Tony felt himself falling deeper with every passing day. Perhaps they were moving quickly, but Tony couldn’t bring himself to care. They both knew what it was that they wanted, and saw no reason to deny themselves– so while they didn’t fall into bed immediately after that first lunch, it still didn’t take very long at all.</p><p>Their arguments had always been full of passion and it made sense that would pass over to the way they kissed, to the way lips and tongues danced together and hands raked over skin. Tony learned quickly that Loki liked to use his strength, and he made no complaint when Loki pressed him against a wall, his hands sliding over Tony’s back to hook under his thighs. Tony wrapped his legs around Loki’s waist and arched his neck as Loki kissed his throat, Loki’s lips and tongue and the softest press of teeth no doubt littering marks that would stay for days.</p><p>When their mouths slid back together Loki pressed in closer still, and Tony groaned into the kiss as the movement brought friction to all the right places. Loki grinned at that and turned around to carry Tony to the bed, stumbling only a little even though they didn’t pause in their kiss. Loki didn’t even let Tony go as he started tugging at Loki’s shirt, and soon they were laughing at the struggle, giggles interspersed with yet more kisses as they tried to remove each other’s clothes while refusing to move apart. In the end, Loki did it with a flash of his magic, and then Tony was lost to the sensations of Loki’s body pressing against his own.</p><p>What followed was a rush of heat and heady pleasure, hands and mouths working to drag each other to the edge without quite falling all the way.</p><p>By the time Loki pushed inside him Tony was almost ready to come undone, his spine arching and his hands gripping the bedding as he desperately tried to hold on. And as Loki began his thrusts Tony curled his legs around him again, wanting to feel as much of Loki as he could. He buried his hands in Loki’s hair and pulled him down for a kiss, swallowing moans and cries. He loved the taste of Loki on his tongue, and he loved the way that Loki gasped and trembled when Tony used his teeth, his movements faltering for a moment before thrusting harder, faster, driving into Tony until he could do nothing but moan Loki’s name.</p><p>Tony came with a cry, writhing against the mattress as Loki rocked into him a few more times before coming himself, as if he had been fighting to hold on until Tony had come first. Loki kissed Tony slowly before pulling all the way out, and then he curled into Tony’s side. Tony wrapped his arm around him as Loki nuzzled into the curve of Tony’s shoulder, his lips brushing over skin in a not quite kiss. Then, he glanced up, his expression almost one of concern.</p><p>“Are you thirsty?” Loki asked– and it was so out of the blue that Tony just blinked.</p><p>“I guess?” he said. “I don’t, uh, really feel like moving, though.” Oh, that was the understatement of the century. In that moment, Tony wanted nothing more than to stay curled up with Loki for at least a <em>week</em>. Honestly, Loki’s magic was <em>the</em> best thing– it meant that they didn’t even have to get up to clean themselves off.</p><p>So, yeah. Tony was kind of expecting that to be it. He could go and get some water later, for now he was perfectly content where he was—</p><p>But then Loki moved one of his arms, and when Tony glanced down, he saw that Loki was holding a fucking bottle of Gatorade.</p><p>“Where the <em>hell</em> did you get that from?” he asked. “You’re not wearing anything—”</p><p>“I have a stash of them in a pocket dimension,” Loki said, his lips twitching and ruining an obvious effort to keep a straight face. “I know you said you didn’t like me trying to feed you, but… I just…”</p><p>Tony softened, and he shifted so that he was propped just a little more upright against the pillows, and he had the bottle of Gatorade in hand in a moment.</p><p>“Thanks, Lokes,” he said. “You know… I’m sorry for what I said before. I don’t mind, really. I actually…”</p><p>“Oh,” Loki said, grinning. “Well, then, in that case… do you want this as well?” Loki asked hopefully, holding out a protein bar—</p><p>And Tony couldn’t help it. He had to lean down and kiss Loki’s shit-eating grin, because it might have taken him a while to realise it– but his boyfriend really <em>cared</em>, and by god did Tony love that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong><span class="big">+<em>one</em></span></strong>
</p><p>When Tony woke up, it was to find Loki sprawled over him like some kind of octopus, long arms and legs everywhere, his face still pressed against Tony’s shoulder. Tony smiled fondly as he gently stroked Loki’s back, not wanting to wake him but not quite able to help himself. Loki murmured something sleepily, and Tony touched his lips to Loki’s forehead, then his cheek, and then his nose. Loki had done so much for him, so much more than Loki probably realised. And as Loki’s eyes began to flutter open, Tony realised that he really wanted to do something to return the favour.</p><p>“I’m just getting up for a minute, Lokes,” Tony whispered, gently prying his arms away so that he could slide toward the edge of the mattress. “You can go back to sleep.”</p><p>Loki actually <em>whined</em> then, reaching out for him again, and Tony’s breath caught in a laugh.</p><p>“Shh,” Tony said, running his hand through Loki’s hair. “I’ll be right back.”</p><p>Loki quietened at that, and Tony couldn’t help but smile at the way he curled back under the covers. For all that he was an incredibly powerful being, Loki could just seem so… human, at times.</p><p>Tony’s smile was still in place as he made his way downstairs, wanting to do this <em>properly</em> and knowing that he wouldn’t have the right stuff in the penthouse kitchenette– but Steve always kept the Avengers’ fridge well stocked.</p><p>Now, Tony is not, and never will be a great cook– but there is <em>one </em>thing that he knows how to make to perfection, and luckily, it was the perfect kind of thing for breakfast.</p><p>It didn’t take long to make, either, and it wasn’t too long after the coffee was done brewing that he flipped two perfectly shaped omelettes onto plates. But as Tony went to pour himself a mug of blessed caffeine, he hesitated. He didn’t have a meeting to go to that morning, and while there were projects that needed attention in his workshop, there was nothing that absolutely could not wait. He didn’t <em>need</em> to be any more awake than he already was, and… well.</p><p>Leaving the pot where it was, Tony instead pulled some glasses down from the cupboard, and placed them and the plates on a tray. Then he took a jug out of the fridge that he only rarely used.</p><p>Unfortunately, though, before he could steal it, someone else came into the kitchen.</p><p>“You’re up early,” Steve said, his gaze panning over Tony’s figure– and Tony was super glad he had pulled on some pyjamas before heading down. “Company?”</p><p>Tony glanced to the two plates on his tray before looking back up to Steve with a <em>well, duh</em> expression. Then, doing his best to balance the tray on one hand while he hid the jug behind his back, he tried to inch around Steve. He’d almost made it when—</p><p>“Tony,” Steve said.</p><p>“What?” Tony asked, <em>hoping</em> he hadn’t noticed that Tony was trying to steal the communal orange juice.</p><p>“I’m glad you’re happy,” Steve said. “You, uh. You’ve seemed lighter, recently.”</p><p>“Thanks, Steve,” Tony said– and while he <em>did</em> mean it, it came out a little strained. “Now, uh, do you mind? I need to…”</p><p>“Oh, yes,” Steve said, stepping away. “Sorry. Have a good morning!”</p><p>Tony flashed a smile and then spun, hurrying away as quickly as he could manage without dropping anything. It was tricky, balancing everything on the way back up to the penthouse, but Tony managed it– and it was more than worth it to see Loki’s smile when he arrived back in the bedroom.</p><p>It seemed the smile had been just for Tony, though, rather than for his gesture, since it dropped the moment Loki’s almost awake eyes landed on the tray.</p><p>“What’s that?” Loki asked.</p><p>“Breakfast,” Tony said brightly.</p><p>“And what <em>is</em> it?” he asked. He sounded almost suspicious, and Tony had to laugh. He set the tray down on the bedside table before he slid onto the mattress beside Loki and leaned into his side, still not wanting to risk a spillage and ruining his hard work– and then, when they were both comfortable, he reached back to bring the tray onto the bed in front of them.</p><p>“There’s protein,” Tony said, pointing to the eggs. “And I’m sorry, but I don’t have any Gatorade. Orange juice is just going to have to do.”</p><p>Loki stared at the tray for a moment– and then he turned and pressed his lips to Tony’s in a sweet, gentle kiss. He kept his hand on Tony’s cheek as he pulled away, his expression soft– Tony knew that Loki <em>got</em> what he was trying to do.</p><p>They didn’t say anything about it, they didn’t need to. They both <em>knew</em> that in their own ways, they had each been telling each other that they would always be there, that they cared deeply.</p><p>And as they fell back into their usual easy banter, eating their eggs and drinking their juice, Tony felt truly content– and he hoped that there would be plenty more mornings like that to come.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Loki gets a bit upset when he works out how bad Gatorade is for your teeth. But that’s fine, because somewhere down the track Tony gets a golden apple and he can drink as much sugary greenness as he likes.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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